The Battle of Smooth Stones
A gamble led by Hobgoblin Great Engineer Olt to draw the Dragonborn Army into a daring pitched battle in The Broken Crags of Prakanda. Belligerents Hobgoblin Coalition totaling 3,580 Great Chief Fittokt commanding 1,000 Infantry / 500 Dog Cavalry Great Chief Diegrex commandeering 350 Infantry / 300 Archers Great Engineer Olt commanding 100 Infantry / 30 light ballista High Warrior Pryduigs commanding 1,000 Infantry / 300 Dog Cavalry Dragonborn Battalion totaling 3,720 High Commander Durciar commanding 1500 Infantry / 200 Cavalry / 20 Wizards Flank Commander Zraqrin commanding 750 Infantry / 250 Cavalry Flank Commander Phithibra Commanding 750 Infantry / 250 Cavalry Events Prior to the Battle Following a number of failed offensives to drive the Dragonborn out of the Broken Crags the Council of Great Chief’s gathered with their most successful warriors and engineers in Kikradan. After some discussion and a lot of argument the Great Engineer Olt a very successful and rich Hobgoblin convinced a number of the participants of a radical plan to attempt to overextend an element of the Dragonborn army. Many of the Chief’s and Warriors walked out convinced that allowing their enemies to encroach so deeply into their homeland was unacceptable. The following weeks and months had the new coalition constantly harassing and goading Dragonborn outposts to hide the efforts of Olt in a place called the Smooth Stones where he and his apprentices were busy carving out stone pits and camouflaging light ballista. His newest innovation although less powerful than a traditional ballista provided a greater rate of fire thanks to a wheel crank system with an automatic catch and release compared to the lever and trigger design of the larger version. Olt had his coalition concentrate their harassment on a Dragonborn commander called Durciar who was known for aggressive tactics and ruthlessness on the battlefield. With this in mind Durciar’s soldiers were the subject tactics they were not prepared to handle. Raided weekly during the night they lost supplies, horses and occasionally a soldier or two. The lack of honor and what seemed like unavoidable losses of the Hobgoblin raids quickly took its toll on Durciar and his subordinate’s composure and moral. When Durciar’s personal mount was slain during one of these raids was when he decided he had enough. Durciar gathered what soldiers he could over the course of a week and using information gathered from the occasional captured Hobgoblin marched to the Smooth Stones. Eager by the reports of a gathering force he ordered the march slowed to ensure his forces were well rested which extended the trip from 4 to 6 days. He did this in confidence the physically and better armed Dragonborn could handle any amount of Hobgoblin’s in open battle. Several small victories against pockets of Hobgoblin warriors only further inflated his and his forces confidence. The night before the battle both armies could see the others camp fires in the clear night sky. Durciar was sure that his Dragonborn that comprised almost a third of the total force his kingdom had would sweep aside their enemies. He was already had his tacticians planning the siege of Kikraden which he hoped to make him a legend. The Battle On the dawn of the battle Olt presented Chief Fittokt with the ornaments of command as he brought the most swords. With a bellow that echoed across the smooth stones the Hobgoblin army began beating there shields and chests. The sound rolled like a constant thunder over the landscape easily reaching Durciar’s camp. It didn’t take long for Durciar’s forces to rouse from the commotion, marching forward over the stone landscape into Olt’s trap. With a howl from the chiefs the bulk of the Hobgoblin force charged forward. Durciar reaction was text book as he waved his arm to his color guard that trumpeted his cavalry to meet them. Durciar relaxed on his hoarse leaning forward in his saddle to get the best view of the inevitable trampling of such a small apposing force. His smug look quickly left his face as his cavalry hit the first of Olt’s tricks. Almost half the men charging were thrown to the ground as their horses fell through the camouflaged covers that concealed Olt’s pits. The charge lost Durciar ordered the color guard to sound regroup to save what cavalry he would have left. He didn’t have any enjoyment in watching his enemy fall prey to some of their own pits before they reached the dismounted Dragonborn. After finishing the grisly job the Hobgoblins formed up among the pits and the dead to resume their bellows and thumping. The archers among the Hobgoblins now within range and safe from being run down began firing forcing the Dragonborn infantry forward. This was the moment Olt was waiting for as he ordered his troops to uncover and open fire with his ballista. The results were spectacular as he estimated that his personal ballista was firing a bolt every 15 seconds the heavy ammunition tearing into the approaching forces. Commanding his wizards to do what they could to protect his soldiers Durciar ordered his remaining cavalry to try and charge around the battlefield to attack the heavy weapons. They never made it as they were intercepted by the now more numerous Hobgoblin cavalry and despite a good showing they were eventually overwhelmed. No longer able to defend himself and his forces in shambles before the engagement began Durciar ordered the retreat. Too late to save his infantry, they were encircled by the combined arms of the Dog Calvary and the Hobgoblin infantry. His wizards expended the rest of their spells in an attempt to facilitate a break out but failed and Duciar and his remaining 200 Dragonborn made way back to Kimbathul. Aftermath Hobgoblin Despite such a huge victory the coalition was disbanded and Olt dismissed for his decision to not pursue Durciar. The Hobgoblin forces continue to harass Dragonborn Outposts as the next coalition prepare for an offensive to attempt to break through into Dragonborn territory. Dragonborn Losing such a large amount of their army, the High Command of Kimbathul was forced to call off all offenses into the Broken Crags. Durciar was stripped of his rank and dismissed from the Army and forced to serve in construction teams who are responsible for repairing fortifications.